Wagon-brake



(NoModeL) i v J. D. BRATTON & H. H. GOOD.

WAGON BRAKE.

Patented June 13, 1882.

WITNESSES \U N@ o H Jill a a S {L u M a u ATTORNEYS.

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JAMES J). BRATTON AND HENRY H. GOOD, OF WESTMORELAND, KANSAS.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,468, dated J'iine13, 1882.

Application filed March 2, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES DALLAS BRAT- TON and HENRY HARRISON Goon, ofWestmoreland, in the county of Pottawatomie and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Wagon Brakes, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to that class of wagonbrakes which are applied tothe front wheels of vehicles and operated by the team in stopping orslowing.

The invention consists in a novel construction, arrangement, andcombination of levers provided with brake-shoes on their outer ends, andhaving their inner ends connected by a pressure-equalizing device to arod secured to a sleeve sliding on the tongue, and other deviceshereinafter more particularly described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 represents a top view of a vehicle provided with ourimprovements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of thesame.

A represents the pole or tongue of an ordinary vehicle, which is securedto the hounds in any suitable manner, and is provided on its outer endwith a movable sleeve, a. Bolted or otherwise secured to the said sleevea is a rod, B, supported at about the middle and inner end by thekeepers b and b The rod B is also provided with an upright arm, I,projecting through and sliding in a slot, 2', in the ton gueA, for thepurpose hereinafter described.

0 is a connecting-rod, bent in the manner shown to pass under the axle DThe forward end is secured in any suitable manner to the rear end of therod B. The rear end of the rod 0 is secured by the keeper 0, which maybe either secured to or made in one piece with the curved bar D,hereinafter more particularly described.

E is a beam or lever, bolted to the rod 0 near its rear end. To each endof this lever E is secured by means of short rods 0 e, the inner end ofa brake-lever controlling the opposite wheel. It serves the doublepurpose of equalizing the pressure on the wheels when one shoe is wornmore than the other, and of affording greaterleverage by the greaterlength of brake-lever which it allows to be used.

F F are the brake-levers, having on their outer ends the brake-shoes GG. Loops or keepers cl d in the curved bar D serve as fulcrums andsupport the outer ends of the levers, while between the fulcrums d d andthe reach of the vehicle the brake-levers F F are formed into cranks ff,which by their weight counterbalance the weight of the brake-shoes.

The inner ends of the levers F F are connected by short rods e e to thelever E, as above described, and are supported, one by passing over therod 0 and resting on it and the other by a keeper, f on the lower sideof the said rod. The brake-shoes G G are pivoted or hung between thearms 9 g on the ends of their respective levers. The brake-levers F Falso fit loosely and turn freely in their supports d cl. Thebrake-shoes, however, are so shaped that the, lower part is larger thanthe part where the pivot pierces it. The result is that, if the brakesare applied when the wagon is moving forward, they are made to presscloser, while if the wagon is backed the shoes move downward andbackward, turning on their pivots, and thus release the wheels.

The curved bar D is bolted or otherwise se-8o cured to the hounds H,which it serves to strengthen. It is braced and made stronger by arms hh, secured at their ends to the hounds H.

The whiffletree may be attached to the arm or bolt I, above described,so that when a forward pull is given to the traces the brakes are thrownoff.

K is a slotted bar attached to the upper side of the pole, having a slotthrough which the bolt I projects, and serving as a guide and sup portfor the upper portion of the bolt.

The operation is asfollows: When the wagon is in forward motion and itis desired to slow or stop, or when a downgrade is reached, the backingof the team slides the sleeve a backward on the pole, moving with it therods B and G, with their appurtenances, and the inner ends of thebrake-levers F F, and applying the brake-shoes to the wheels. When thewagon is started again the forward motion given by the team to thewhiffietree moves the rods and :roo

levers to their original positions and releases provided with the arm orbolt I, substantially 20 the wheels.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the draft-rod B U andthe brake-levers F, of the lever E and the rods 6, connecting the endsof the said lever with the inner end of the brake-lever controlling theopposite wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the draft-rod B O and the curved bar D, of thebrake-levers F, provided with the cranks f, the lever E, and theconnecting-rods c, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the curved bar D and the crank brake-levers F,of the lever E, the connecting-rods e, and the draft-rod B O,

J. D. BRATTON. H. H. GOOD.

Witnesses:

JAMES D. BRATTON, HENRY G001), HARVEY Krrrs, W. M. SMITH.

